Updating windows without genuine advantage

I've been afraid to install any updates to Windows 7 since that atrocious KB971033 messed up my computer a few months ago.

Basically it detected cracked or pirated copies of the OS and disabled them.

The Activation Wizard generates verification data primarily based on information about hardware in the computer.

In Windows XP, information about the following eight categories of hardware is included: Certain retail copies of Windows and Office sold in certain countries classified as emerging markets have geographical activation restrictions, which only allow the user to activate the product within the indicated region.

If activation completes successfully, the user can continue to use the application without any further issues or impediments.

I personally have had no issues with win 7 updates so if you are running Genuine you should not be seeing any issues either, The Only one I have seen problems reported with so far is the KB971033. I would download the rest and miss that One out if you are unsure of its effects on your system in its current state.

When installing a retail copy of Windows or Office, the user is asked to input a unique product key supplied on a certificate of authenticity included with the program, which is later verified during activation.

Immediate activation is not required following installation, but the program must be activated within a specific period of time in order to continue to function properly.

Programs purchased under this license must still be activated, with the exception of Windows XP and all versions of Office released prior to Office 2010.

In this case, the copy of Windows installed does not use the product key listed on the certificate of authenticity, but rather a master product key issued to OEMs called a System Locked Pre-installation (SLP) key.